The US Open is set to become the first grand slam tournament in history to be broadcasted solely online in Ireland and Great Britain.
Amazon.com has purchased the exclusive rights to show the tournament in a five-year deal starting this August. Meaning that viewers in the UK and Ireland will no longer be able to watch the event on traditional TV for the first time. It has been reported that the historic deal cost in the region of £40 million.
The tournament will be streamed on Amazon Prime. A subscription service that cost £79 per year or can be paid for in monthly instalments. Last November it was announced that the platform will be broadcasting the nine Masters 1000 tournaments from 2019 onwards. The current tournaments are broadcasted on Sky Sports, but they have been outbid by Amazon. Who locked a five-year contract at a value of £50m.
“We are proud to add the US Open to the growing portfolio of sports available on Prime Video,” said Alex Green, managing director of channels and sports for Amazon’s Prime Video operation in Europe. “This makes Prime Video a destination for tennis fans.”
During the US Open, Amazon will show both live matches as well as on demand highlights. As a result of the deal, some subscribers to the service can watch three out of the four grand slam events. Users of Amazon Prime can pay for extra channels, which includes Australian and French Open broadcaster Eurosport. From June, the ATP Fever-Tree Championships (Queen’s) and WTA Eastbourne International will also be streamed.
“This new partnership allows the USTA (United States Tennis Association) to showcase our live and on-demand content to Amazon Prime Video members throughout the U.K. and Ireland,” said Lew Sherr, USTA Chief Revenue Officer. “We are excited to market the telecasts via Prime Video and provide fans more ways to watch tennis matches.”
Despite the potential impact of Amazon’s deal, Wimbledon will not be taken off TV. The tournament is protected under the Digital Economy Bill. An act of parliament set out to ensure that key sporting events are not taken off free-to-air TV. The Olympic Games and football World Cup are also protected.
The US Open will take place from August 27th to September 9th.
